Sweeties

I hope your Easter was as blessed as mine. We had a nice day at church and as a family. Here are a few of my sweeties. We're having fantastic weather right now. In the seventies to eighties. Perfect. Talk to you soon.

Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed

I received this in a e-newsletter today, and wanted to share it during this Passion week. I always reflect on these beautiful words by Isaac Watts this time of year.

Topsy-Turvy

In the midst of finishing up the income taxes and scrambling to get our third quarter school work in, we had to take hubby to the ER Monday afternoon whereupon they kept him overnight and took forever releasing him late yesterday. (He was feeling some discomfort in the chest for a week or so, and the doctor didn't want to play around with that. However, all tests revealed that it's not his heart, but probably a digestive issue, so we're thankful for that.) So, we hopefully also have some car issues straightened out as well and life is going on? A bit on the topsy-turvy side, but going on anyway.

Please forgive me for not checking in on all of you more often, but I'll try to get by later today. No matter what's going on in our lives, Jesus reigns.

Be Still

Hope this is a blessing to all. I'm posting it on all my blogs today. Beautiful images of God's creation throughout. Have a very blessed Lord's Day tomorrow.

Installation Delay

INSTALLING SPRING...
████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
33% DONE. Install delayed....please wait.
Installation failed. Please try again.

(Saw this on a friend's Facebook status and couldn't resist copying. Problem is it's so true here.)

God Will Take Care of You

I thought now is a good time to post this, which I once posted on Facebook. Not altogether sure of their nationality, but I do have all people in mind with this, and especially the Japanese people. Enjoy. I'm sure you'll like it.

Pray for Japan!

Checking In

I don't know if you feel this way or not, but when I hear about a horrible disaster in another part of the world it usually seems funny that our lives go on as usual. Coming home today from some ordinary daily life things, I said to my daughter "Here we are going on with life as always and somewhere on this earth people are suffering from the effects of something that has completely devastated their entire well-being."

Well, I came to check in after my break and Japan, Hawaii, and those in the Pacific are fresh on my mind. I'm sure the same is true of you. Top of our prayer list for sure.

I am doing my income taxes again (as always this time of year), working on finishing up homeschool here in our house and prepare for graduation, doing little writing projects, looking at movies and dvds/videos of my new favorite TV program which I wrote about a couple of entries ago (love it), enjoying the grandchildren, teaching Sunday school, etc. etc. Nothing new. Somehow it's not that important anyway.

I notice quite a few of my blogging friends aren't posting as much either. I'm sure we'll all do it when we can and will all visit each other as time and circumstances allow.

Love you all. God bless.

Nearer My God to Thee

Taking a quick break from my two weak break to post this. Couldn't resist.

Little Bean

Can you see the little bean there? That's our third grandchild. Isn't he/she cute?

Listen, I'm going to be taking a couple weeks break. I will probably be keeping up posts for my other blogs which all have a specific purpose, but I'll break from the personal goings on unless there is something I'm just itching to say.

Be by to visit here and there. See you in a couple of weeks, Lord willing!

Arthur and Gwen

I can't believe myself. I am not one who likes fantasy at all as a choice for reading or entertainment, but for some strange reason, I've been enjoying the BBC TV Merlin series dvd's given to Neesie by a friend. At first, I just sat on the couch doing something else while it was on, but then found myself getting interested in the stories. I always appreciate quality acting and good story development and I saw that first, even though there were strange looking creatures and all that crazy stuff which I usually hate. The long and short of it is, I'm finding it very engaging.

This series is a very loose adaptation of the King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table legend, which I never got into. In many ways, they're not sticking to the legend, which I could care less about. I don't want to go on too much about it, but do want to say what I like best. That is, even as old as I am, I still like fairy tales. I still like to dream a little about such things. And this series very much has a fairy tale woven in.

The time setting is before Arthur became king. He's crown prince and a brave warrior, etc. etc. There is this servant girl named Guinevere. Well, cutting out a lot of detail on the reasons why, in Season 2, Episode 2, the prince goes undercover, hiding out in the home of the servant girl for a couple of days. (He already knew her well, by the way.) She lives alone and was helping out in the particular situation. Well, this and that happened, she had to serve him, of course, and there was much that was amusing, but there was a point at which the young lady became so irritated with her guest that she "boiled over" and told him, in no uncertain terms, a few things about himself. She also told him of the importance of humility in a king, if he's to be a good one. The best part is that he listened. You could tell he did. You could also tell throughout the entire episode that this young future king was falling in love with this servant girl. Oh my. His father would have a heart attack if he knew that.

But here is what I really liked. This was the perfect setting for, at the very least, innuendoes about some sort of "hanky-panky" between the two. There was not the least hint of that. Somehow, in this day and age, they kept it clean. Even when Arthur assumed the only bed was his, not even considering that she would only have one, the focus was on his thinking only of self. Nothing else.

On this day on which romantic love is celebrated, I was thinking about this, and I'm glad the focus was on love, not on, well you know. A later episode confirmed that what had developed between the two of them was true love. I don't know what they'll do in the future with these lovers; I suppose I should expect that passion is coming. In the legend she is the queen (but she had never been a servant). There are many indications it may end up that way here, but the prince and maid will surely have to go through a lot for that to happen! It would be nice if they would keep the focus on love and that it would indeed lead to marriage. That's a lot to expect these days. (No spoilers if you know future happenings!)

Ladies, enjoy and be thankful for your prince today, if you have one. Mine has gotten gray and quite thick around the middle, but he's still my prince! And remember, prince or no prince, God's love is best.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. Their first kiss near the end of the episode: (Many young ladies wait until marriage for that first kiss and that's so nice when that happens! May the Lord lead each girl to do what is best and right in her situation.)

Epitaph

An epitaph written in a cemetery in England:

Remember man, as you walk by,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so shall you be,
Remember this and follow me.

To which someone replied by writing on the tombstone:

To follow you I'll not consent,
Until I know which way you went.

Wow. I found this in humorous stories at GatewayToJesus.com, but I hope it makes you think. Do you know where you will be when you leave this world? Do you know the one way to God? Do you know what is awaiting if you go the other way? In the Bible you'll see that the only way to spend an eternity with God is by repenting of your sins and turning to Jesus, the only Savior. And if you die without Him, it will be to a Christless eternity in a horrible place called hell.

Which way will you be going? Actually, this is not a laughing matter.

Is it Spring Yet?

I don't care what he claims when he makes his prediction today, spring is just around the corner. I think even I'll be glad when it comes.

Today we were spared. A storm came through and the second half is coming through during the night (early hours of Feb.2), but they say it will be hard rains with some freezing rains. Many of you other folks got lots of snow, I hear. Hope you're enjoying it; we've had our share. Somehow the Lord will see us all through.

I made turkey soup today and it really hit the spot. I saved the bones from Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I had lots of them. I simmer them for three to four hours in 10 to 12 cups water, with lots of celery and a little onion. I throw in a couple of bay leaves and peppercorns. Smells great cooking. Then I take out the bones (takes forever), bay leaves, and try to find the peppercorns (always miss a couple which my daughter Neesie always gets in her bowl as she hates pepper the most), after which I add mixed veggies and noodles. I prefer noodles but some folks like potatoes I hear. It's best to make the broth the day before so you can skim off the fat, but I never seem to get around to doing it. I can't wait once I have the broth. It felt so good going down and was most tasty, I must say. I've had a scratchy throat and chills much of the day, but feel much better after eating that soup! Also, I've been overdosing on liquids all day. I think it's working!

With all this bitter cold and snow, my little birdies outside are giving my feeding station quite a workout. A hawk has been hanging around and I keep hoping he won't get one of my patrons, but I guess it's just a matter of time. Well, hawks have to eat too, as they say. I just don't want to see it.

Well, that's all that I have to say for today. Blessings to you all. Stay warm. We'll get through this.

Lovely Weather

It's been a while since I posted a picture of my two girlies, so here it is. I think they're the only ones in the family who are enjoying this weather. It's been unbelievable. The photo above was a couple of weeks ago. We have had much more snow since then.

I think I better remind myself of some reasons why I dislike summer. I don't want to forget it while we're going through this particularly difficult winter. . .

Mosquitoes
Sticky humidity
Mosquitoes
Thunderstorms
Mosquitoes
heat
Mosquitoes

Well. Now I feel better. I'll not start pining away for July.

And about the granddaughters. I just saw the sweetest prayer at a friend's blog. Go here to read Karen's prayer, because I echo the sentiments.

A Secret Work

My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Psalm 139:15

" 'My substance was not hid from thee.' The substantial part of my being was before thine all-seeing eye; the bones which make my frame were put together by thine hand. The essential materials of my being before they were arranged were all within the range of thine eye. I was hidden from all human knowledge, but not from thee: thou hast ever been intimately acquainted with me. 'When I was made in secret.' Most chastely and beautifully is here described the formation of our being before the time of our birth. A great artist will often labour alone in his studio, and not suffer his work to be seen until it is finished; even so did the Lord fashion us where no eye beheld us, and the veil was not lifted till every member was complete . . . 'And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.' 'Embroidered with great skill,' is an accurate poetical description of the creation of veins, sinews, muscles, nerves, etc. What tapestry can equal the human fabric? . . ." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon, from The Treasury of David


How dare we dispense with this marvelous work of God as if it were nothing but a "choice" belonging to us, the creatures? How dare we take it upon ourselves to even think we can make a determination whether this secret work of the Creator should or should not live? I wonder what Mr. Spurgeon would have thought if what would be happening in this day had been foretold? If God withholds judgment on our nation, it is purely a display of His long suffering and mercy!

Fellow saints, let's continue to pray that in the face of mercy, the time will soon come that this darkness prevailing over us will begin to be lifted. Let's do all we can to see that it happens, even if what we do seems small compared to the big picture. Who knows how even our littlest efforts can be used by the great Artist, who certainly recoils at seeing His works destroyed.

(Posting on both my personal and devotional blogs to recognize Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, 2011.)